THE GIFT THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
Introduction:
– This is a wonderful time of the year – a time when we celebrate the greatest gift of all: the gift of Jesus to the world.
– May this season be one where you deeply sense the presence of God in your homes and hearts.
– This greatest Gift – Jesus – was given for each of us, a Gift that brought light to the darkness and hope to a weary world.
– As Mariah Carey’s One Child reminds us:
“The fate of a world in the palm of one child, the hope of a people in His tiny hands.”
– Let us remember that as we give gifts to one another, the true gift is found in Jesus Christ.
– Isaiah 9:6-7 ‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.’
– Love has come for the world to know.
1. THE GREATEST GIFT TO MARY
– Luke 1:28-35 Gabriel appeared to her and said, ”Congratulations, favored lady! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. ”Don’t be frightened, Mary,” the angel told her, ”for God has decided to wonderfully bless you! Very soon now, you will become pregnant and have a baby boy, and you are to name Him ‘Jesus.’ He shall be very great and shall be called the Son of God. And the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His ancestor David. And He shall reign over Israel forever; His Kingdom shall never end!” Mary asked the angel, ”But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, ”The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of God shall overshadow you; so the baby born to you will be utterly holy – the Son of God.”
– Many had longed for what was about to happen to Mary.
– She was chosen to carry the Messiah.
– The Bible highlights three things about Mary:
1. She was a favoured lady.
2. The Lord was with her.
3. God had decided to wonderfully bless her.
– The greatest gift to Mary was the fact that she would carry the hope of the world.
– This reminds us of how one child could bring such light to humanity.
2. THE GREATEST GIFT TO THE ANGELS
– This must have been an exciting time for the angels – Heaven was abuzz with anticipation.
– During this season, we see the greatest amount of angelic activity: visiting Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds.
Luke 1:38 Mary said, ”I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever He wants. May everything you said come true.” And then the angel disappeared.
Luke 2:10-11 the angel reassured them. ”Don’t be afraid!” he said. ”I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone! The Saviour – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem!”
– The angels proclaimed that hope had come, echoing the truth that ”When a miracle comes in the form of a child,” everything changes.
– Imagine being used to announce that Jesus was on earth!
3. THE GREATEST GIFT TO THE SHEPHERDS
– Luke 2:8-15 That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an angel appeared among them, and the landscape shone bright with the glory of the Lord. They were badly frightened, but the angel reassured them. ”Don’t be afraid!” he said. ”I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone! The Saviour – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem! How will you recognize Him? You will find a baby wrapped in a blanket, lying in a manger!” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God: ”Glory to God in the highest heaven,” they sang, ”and peace on earth for all those pleasing him.” When this great army of angels had returned again to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, ”Come on! Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
– This was surely a night different to other nights for the shepherds.
– The shepherds experienced an extraordinary night:
An angel appeared to them.
The landscape shone with God’s glory.
An angel had spoken to them.
A host of angels sang.
– The shepherds, though humble and overlooked, were chosen to be the first witnesses of Christ’s birth, experiencing the truth that ”One Child can change the world.”
– The greatest night was to be a night to which the shepherds were invited.
4. THE GREATEST GIFT TO THE WISE MEN
– The wise men had been watching for the signs, and they journeyed far to meet the Saviour.
– A star that had appeared drew them.
– A star that would lead them to the Messiah.
– Matthew 2:1-11 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ”Where is He Who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” The star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
– They followed the light to find the Light of the world, fulfilling the truth that Jesus was born for all – rich or poor, near or far.
– Today, wise men still seek Him.
5. THE GREATEST GIFT TO INN KEEPER
– There was a man who owned an inn.
– Little did he know that that night the Saviour of the world would come to his door.
– The greatest gift of all was delivered to his doorstep. But he had no room for Him.
– There are many still today who have no room in their hearts for the greatest gift of all.
– Luke 2:6-7 The time came for her baby to be born; and she gave birth to her first child, a Son. She wrapped Him in a blanket and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.
– Perhaps the door of your heart has been closed to the greatest gift of all.
– Wouldn’t you consider opening your heart and let the greatest gift of all into your life?
6. THE GREATEST GIFT TO THE WORLD
– Joy to the world the Lord is come.
– This was the message of the angels then, and nothing has changed.
– It is still the greatest news.
– The greatest gift to the world was born in Bethlehem and He is still available to us today.
– Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His Name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace and of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.
– Jesus still remains the greatest gift the world has ever received.
– The birth of Jesus is the gift that changed the course of humanity. As the song says, ”The hope of a people in His tiny hands,” Jesus is the hope of the world.
7. THE GREATEST GIFT FOR THE MAN IN THE TEMPLE
– One of the greatest stories for me is the story of Simeon.
– He had known, waited and expected Jesus to come.
– It happened as he had hoped.
– Luke 2: 25-33 That day a man named Simeon, a Jerusalem resident, was in the Temple. He was a good man, very devout, filled with the Holy Spirit and constantly expecting the Messiah to come soon. For the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen Him – God’s anointed King. The Holy Spirit had impelled him to go to the Temple that day; and so, when Mary and Joseph arrived to present the baby Jesus to the Lord in obedience to the law, Simeon was there and took the Child in his arms, praising God. ”Lord,” he said, ”now I can die content! For I have seen Him as You promised me I would. I have seen the Saviour You have given to the world. He is the Light that will shine upon the nations, and He will be the glory of Your people Israel!” Joseph and Mary just stood there, marveling at what was being said about Jesus.
– Here the man who had waited for this for so long was holding the hope of the world in his hands.
– God wants to give Himself to you today.
8. THE GREATEST GIFT TO YOU AND ME
– The greatest joy is to know Jesus’ love inside our own hearts.
– John 3:16-17 For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.
– God gave His only Son.
– The same gift is being offered to you today.
– It only remains for you to receive Him.
– The gift of Jesus is for you and me.”
– God gave His Son, and it is up to us to receive Him and embrace the life He offers.
9. GOD WITH US IS GOD’S GIFT TO US
– Matthew 1:23 ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son. They shall call His Name Emmanuel, which means God with us.’
– Jesus came to show us that God is with us.
– We can know the abiding presence of God in our lives.
– God has no intention of leaving us or deserting us.
– Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.
– Nothing can separate us from His love for us.
– Romans 8:35-39 Who then can ever keep Christ’s love from us? When we have trouble or calamity, when we are hunted down or destroyed, is it because He doesn’t love us anymore? And if we are hungry or penniless or in danger or threatened with death, has God deserted us? … Despite all this, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ Who loved us enough to die for us. For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are – high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean – nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ.
– The gift of Jesus and His love for you is still available to you.
– As Mariah Carey’s song reflects: ”One Child that saves us, each one of us.”
Conclusion
– This Christmas, let us remember the Gift that changed the world.
– The birth of one Child – Jesus Christ – brought light, hope, and redemption to all humanity.
– May His love fill your hearts and your homes this season.
By Pastor Andrew W. Roebert
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